Grilled Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

Nick made this chicken for us (he even chose the recipe on his own!) and we paired it with sweet potato gnocchi with fried sage and massaged kale salad for a truly delicious dinner. (It was our anniversary!) It was especially fun to get the herbs and kale from our drooping-in-the-heat garden and spend the afternoon cooking together.

Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or other cut of choice)
1 lemon, sliced in half (optional)
baby arugula (optional), as a bed for the grilled chicken

Directions

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper in a measuring cup. In a large zip-loc bag or a glass dish combine chicken and marinade. Turn to coat and allow chicken to marinade up to 30 minutes at room temperature (or longer in the fridge for even more flavor).

Cook on a greased grill over medium-high heat, discarding left over marinade. Cook about 6 minutes per side for chicken breasts. (Optional- place lemon halves cut-side down on the grill grade and grill until charred, about 4 minutes.)


from Food Network

BBQ Chicken Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette

Welp, here we are with a full week in the 100s...and no relief in sight. We're trying to enjoy grilling while we can, and salads are such a good way to keep the kitchen cool. Here is a pretty basic BBQ chicken salad with a twist from a tasty vinaigrette. The funny thing is, we were already planning on having red potatoes on the side and when I found the recipe for the vinaigrette they also had the same side dish. Guess it's a good combo? Not the best picture, but I am finding I am less and less patient once it comes to dinner time :)

BBQ Chicken Salad

 chicken breasts, grilled with favorite barbeque sauce (plus a bit more to add after cutting up)
greens of choice (romaine, spinach, mixed greens, etc)
black beans, drained & rinsed
fresh corn (or frozen corn, thawed)
red onion, to taste
cucumber, diced
tomatoes, diced
cheese of choice
fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Avocado Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
1/6 cup white wine vinegar
2 scallions
1 Tbsp. peach jam
1/2 medium ripe avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
 *makes enough dressing for 4 servings

To make salad, layer greens with remaining ingredients. Add a bit of dressing and toss. Garnish with cilantro.

dressing adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Chicken Burgers with Garlic & Rosemary

 

A few months ago we got a sweet deal and went from no television stations to more than I can count. From February til the end of the year we get free cable (plus movie channels)- oh yes, and a DVR. (It's part of a trial for a new cable package or something. ) It has been heavenly. I don't consider myself to be a big TV watcher, but there are a few channels/shows I like. Unfortunately, the time I watch TV is after I've put Siena to bed and read for a while = late = makes me want to eat everything. Nick has even asked me not to watch too close to bed because it makes him starving too! (So I guess it's not just a pregnancy thing.) I saw this a while ago and was excited to try it out. It was super easy and flavorful, I think it will be on rotation a lot this summer!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil mayo
3 Tbsp. low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken breast (could try turkey as well)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
whole wheat buns
arugula

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine mayo, yogurt, rosemary, and garlic. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl add ground chicken, salt, pepper, and mayo-yogurt mixture (optional:reserve a tiny bit of mixture to use later on buns). Gently combine ingredients and form patties (I formed 5 from 1.2 lbs). Mixture will be wet- place patties on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and put in freezer or refrigerator to help set.

3. On a preheated and sprayed grill, place chicken burgers over medium heat. Cook on each side for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve on a whole wheat bun with some arugula.

adapted from Giada

Grilled Chicken & Red Pepper Panini with Smoked Gouda

adapted from the Kitchen Sink Recipes

Ingredients

2-3 large chicken breasts
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
juice of half a lemon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt & pepper
2 red bell peppers, halved and cored
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
slices of naan, cut in half (1 full slice per sandwich)
thin slices smoked gouda
12 basil leaves

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, paprika and salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and massage the marinade into the chicken. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. Prepare a grill. Rub the red pepper halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken breasts (until cooked through) and the red pepper (until softened and blackened in spots). The peppers will take just about as long as the chicken to grill. Do not turn the grill off. Allow the chicken and the peppers to rest so they are cool enough to handle. Once cooled, slice the red peppers and chicken breasts into thin strips.

3. Working with a pair of naan halves, pile on slices of gouda, three basil leaves, red peppers slices, and slices of the chicken. Top with more slices of gouda and the other naan halves. Repeat to complete each sandwich.

4. Once the sandwiches are assembled, return them to the grill for a couple minutes per side, over low heat until the gouda has melted and the naan has toasted. Serve warm.

Optional: Before adding marinade to chicken, reserve a bit of the marinade to later use as a spread on naan. Spread on naan before adding other layers.

serves 4-6

Manchego Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs

from Bon Appetit, July 2009

Ingredients

For the relish:
2 large heads of garlic, top 1/2-inch cut off
5 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup roasted red pepper from a jar, drained and diced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
Coarse kosher salt

For the hot dogs:
6 grilled or toasted hot dog buns or 2 1/2-inch-wide pieces ciabatta or pain rustique, cut to length of hot dogs and split lengthwise
6 grilled all-beef hot dogs
2 oz. Manchengo cheese, grated (I used a lot less than the full 2 oz.)
Balsamic vinegar


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place each head of garlic, cut side up, in center of square of foil; drizzle each with 1 teaspoon oil. Enclose garlic in foil. Place packets on oven rack; roast until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. Open packets; cool 15 minutes.

2. Once cooled, squeeze garlic cloves into small bowl. Mash enough roasted garlic to measure 1/4 cup (reserve remaining garlic for another use). Transfer 1/4 cup mashed garlic to bowl. Mix in 3 teaspoons oil, red pepper, and parsley. Season with coarse salt and pepper.

3. Arrange buns on plates. Top each with grilled hot dog, then cheese, garlic relish, and drizzle of vinegar.

Teriyaki Grilled Pork Chops

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped (or about 2-3 tsp.)
4-6 pork chops

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all marinade ingredients. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool the marinade completely.

2. Put pork chops in a large resealable container or plastic bag. Add marinade (if in a bad, seal and press out excess air). Allow pork to marinate, turning bag once or twice, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

3. Pour marinade into saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Grill pork approximately 7-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through, basting with marinade during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Goes great with Parmesan couscous.

Serves 4-6.

Lime and Cilantro Chicken

adapted from Quick Food

This recipe can easily be adapted to serve however many people. I plan on 1/2 a chicken breast for each serving (maybe 1 per person depending on size.) Adjust the rice and veggies accordingly

Ingredients:

3 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice (divided)
2-4 chicken breasts
2 cups jasmine rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 zucchini, cut into wedges
4 large, flat mushrooms, stems trimmed (optional)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ginger, cilantro, lime zest and 2 Tbsp. of lime juice. Spread 2 tsp. of the herb mixture over each chicken breast and season well. Marinate for 1 hour. Combine the remaining herb mixture with the remaining lime juice in a container with a lid and set aside.

2. Cook rice in rice cooker or in large sauce pan.

3. While rice is cooking, heat grill pan (I grill on an outdoor grill) to medium and lightly brush with oil. Brush zucchini and mushrooms with remaining oil, season lightly with salt and pepper if desired. Place chicken on grill and cook an each side 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. During the last few minutes, add the vegetables, turning frequently until browned on the outside and just barely softened. Cover with foil until ready to serve. (Vegetables can also be grilled in a grill basket or a little bed of foil.)

4. Serve rice into bowls. Cut chicken breasts into long, thick strips and arrange on top of rice. Add vegetables. Shake dressing well and drizzle over the chicken.

Serves 4-6.